Resilient retaining wall

ABSTRACT

A marine retaining wall and the like comprised of a series of hingedly interconnected corrugated metal sheets anchored in place by adjustable earth anchors, whereby adjacent corrugated sheets can move relative to each other in response to the normal movement of water, wave and soil without becoming disengaged from each other, fracturing, or losing their effectiveness in sealing the land off from the water.

United States Patent 1 Schroter et a1.

1111 3,739,588 1 1 June 19, 1973 RESILIENT RETAINING WALL [75]lnventors: Richard C. Schroter, Orinda;

David C. Thomas, Moraga, both of Calif.

[73] Assignee: Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corporation, Oakland, Calif.

[22] Filed: June 30, 1971 21 App]. No.: 158,188

[52] US. Cl 61/49, 61/39, 61/62 [51] Int. Cl E02d 5/06 [58] Field ofSearch 61/39, 47, 49, 61,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,166,563 1/1916 \Vemlinger61/60 2,332,812 10/1943 Rieger at al. 61/62 2,405,289 8/1946 Cardwell61/39 1,084,120 1/1914 Wemllnger.... 61/60 1,689,678 10/1928 Mauterer61/62 1,937,758 12/1933 Harris 61/62 2,355,102 8/1944 Odman 61/62Primary Examiner-David J. Willjiamowsky Assistant ExaminerPhilip C.Kannan Att0rneyPaul E. Calrow [57] ABSTRACT 2 Claims, 5 Drawing FiguresPmammwmms 3.139.588

' INVENTORS RICHARD C. SCHROTER BY DAVID C.THOMAS m4 KW ATTORNEY I I I,I

RESILIEN'I RETAINING WALL BACKGROUND This invention relates to aretaining wall. More particularly, it relates to a retaining wallsuitable for use as a canal or marina bulkhead and the like. In areaswhere bodies of water, such as canals and marinas, are provided forvarious commercial, residential or recreational purposes, it is standardpractice to erect retaining walls to minimize shoreline erosion, etc. Inaddition to environmental suitability, e.g., durability and weatheringcharacteristics of the materials used, labor and materials costs areprime considerations in the construction of such retaining walls.

Specially formed and reinforced corrugated metal, plastic and fibrouscomposition sheets have been used in the past in the construction ofretaining walls in an effort to provide efficient seals at the variousjoints between the sheets or panels. These have not been completelysatisfactory for various reasons. Panels of plastic and fibrouscomposition materials, although inexpensive and resistant to rot, water,fungi, etc., are still relatively brittle and any severe stress orshearing action can cause fracture and breaking of the panels in thepanel joint areas and a destruction of the wall or barrier made up ofsuch panels. The metal panels proposed or used for such purposes in thepast have not been provided with satisfactory soil or sand-proofinterlocking joint elements which permit flexing or shifting of theinstalled panels under various loading conditions while at the same timeinhibiting the sifting of soil or sand therethrough and without becomingdisengaged from each other, distorting or failing. Typical examples ofsuch prior art walls having the aforesaid deficiencies are illustratedin US. Pat. Nos. 1,084,120, granted Jan. 13, 1914, and 3,229,468,granted Jan. 18, 1966.

Accordingly, it is a primary purpose of the present invention to providean improved marina retaining wall or the like made up of resilientlyorhingedly connected links that overcomes the above-mentioneddifi'lculties, and has a relatively long life expectancy.

Another object is to provide an improved bulkhead utilizing structuralcorrugated panels that can, if desired, be prepunched and provided withimproved means for hingedly connecting a pair of panels together alongthe entire lengths of the various panels.

A further object is to effect an improved interlock between a pair ofcorrugated panels or sheets forming a sheet metal piling, which willprovide a permanent joint therebetween similar to a ball and socket indesign. This joint arrangement allows the individual wall sheets onceemplaced to flex under normal external loadings without fracture, orbecoming disengaged from the total wall structure formed of such sheets,while at the same time permitting the building of walls that can havebends or curves that follow the natural and sometimes quite irregularcurvature of the terrain, where the sheets are emplaced.

Still another object is to provide a marina wall equipped with animproved adjustable land anchor means to compensate for any shifting orloosening of the sheets or panels forming pilings due to wind, weatherand/or wave action.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Briefly stated, the invention is directed to aresilient retaining wall of straight and/or curvilinear configurationcomprised of a series of corrugated metal sheets arranged adjacent toeach other and hingedly joined together in an improved fashion.

The various panels making up the wall are further held in place againstthe usual earthen backfill by means of a plurality of improvedadjustable metal anchors connected thereto by means of tie rods embeddedin the earth fill.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a fragmentary and partlybroken away plan view of a retaining wall showing joined togethercorrugated metal sections incorporating the novel concepts of theinstant invention;

FIG. 2 is a partly broken side elevational view taken substantiallyalong the line 2-2 of FIG. 1 and illustrat ing a typical installation ofthe wall of the instant invention with parts added;

FIG. 3 is a view of a typical disc type anchor device that can be usedin the installation of the wall, when taken along the line 3-3 of FIG.2;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view, on an. enlarged scale of the hinged ball andsocket type joint between a pair of panels when generally taken withinthe circumscribing line 4 of FIG. I; and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a cap element that fitsover the top of a wall panel, and illustrates the manner in which thecap element is installed.

It will be understood that the embodiments shown in the drawings anddescribed hereafter are merely illustrative of preferred embodiments ofthe invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring now to the drawings and particularlyFIGS. 1 and 2, the retaining wall or sheet metal piling 5 of theinstant'invention is generally comprised of a series of rectangularbulkhead sheets 10,, formed of standard corrugated metal sheet or plateof the appropriate gauge, temper, etc., such as those made of acorrosion resistant aluminum alloy and vertically disposed along ashoreline or other embankment by the usual jetting, trenching or drivingtechniques.

Each corrugated sheet 10 is usually prepared for installation by firstattaching, such as by welding, to one side edge of the sheet anelongated sinuous fitting 11 which combines with the sheet edge to forma hinge pocket 12. The opposing side edge of the sheet has an elongatedand roughly J-shaped tongue element 13 similarly welded or rivetedthereto. The bulbous end 14 of the tongue element 13 of one sheet 10fits loosely yet firmly within the pocket 12 formed by the fitting 11attached to an adjacent sheet element 10 to form a hinged ball andsocket type joint J. The opening or mouth 15 leading into pocket 12 isslightly larger in width'than the thickness of the web portion 13 oftongue element 13.

The bulbous element 14 is fitted in a pocket 12 by raising the bottom ofthe sheet edge provided with a tongue element 13 above the top of theedge of the adjacent sheet provided with pocket 12, telescopinglyfitting or inserting the tongue 13 of the one sheet 10 into pocket 12 ofthe other sheet and then sliding the two sheets lengthwise in oppositedirections until the entire tongue 13, which preferably runs the entirelength of a sheet, has its bulbous element 14 fully enclosed within thejoint pocket 12 of the other sheet. Pocket l2 preferably extends for thefull length of the sheet with which it is associated. If a water-proofgrease is previously applied to bulbous element 14, insertion of theelement into and along a pocket 12 will be facilitated.

The aforesaid interlocking arrangement of parts results in a hinge-likeconnection or joint J between adjacent sheets whereby individual sheetscan bend, flex or bow relative to another sheet without becomingdisengaged from each other and without any significant loss in thesand-tight integrity of the joint between adjacent sheets. In thisconnection, it is to be observed that the sealing characteristics of thejoint J of the instant invention are important and particularly usefulin keeping back sandy soils on beach-front property and even thefine'so-called sugar sands of many inland waterways and lakeshores. Ininstances where fine sandy or silty soil is present along with tidewater, the fluctuating water line at high and low tides results in atendency for the backfill to be sucked or sifted through the jointsbetween adjacent panels or sheets unless the joint is relativelyimpermeable as in the instant case.

The generous rounded curvature of bulbous element 14 permits substantialpivoting or hinge movement of one sheet 10 relative to its adjacentsheet without their becoming disengaged from each other. Mouth 15 ofpocket 12 is sufficiently large to prevent binding of the tongue 13 inthe pocket 12. The unique hinged connection of sheets 10 enables thewall or pilings made up of such sheets to have substantial or severeinstallation curvatures, etc., whereby the sheets 10 do not have to bearranged linearly and allows a wide range of adjustment of the sheets tothe terrain during installation. The hinged joint comprised of tongueand pocket acts to provide an efficient seal against the erosion of sandor earth fill from the landward side of the wall toward the water side.

In most installations, it will be advantageous to provide a topreinforcing metal cap 16 for the wall S'attached by suitable means tothe upper edges of the corrugated sheets 10. Cap 16 enhances thestructural rigidity of the overall wall and can be bent or curvedlongitudinally within limits during manufacture. It acts to restrictvertical movement and shifting of sheets 10 relative to each other andat the same time is somewhat decorative. This cap as indicated in FIG. 5can be roughly T-shaped and provided with 'apertured sidewalls 17 and 18and when a cap 16 bridges the joint J between sheets, it acts as aunique splice for the sheets and also can have the advantageouscharacteristics of a load transfer bar as noted hereinafter.

In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the threaded ends 19 ofthe ground anchor tie rods 20 fit in the aligned openings 21 in walls 17and 18 of cap 16 and in matching holes 22 in sheets 10 at various spacedpoints along the tops of the sheets 10. Holes 22 are preferably offsetsomewhat from a joint J. The threaded anchor end of each rod 20 isadjustably connected to anchor plate or disc 25 by a standard doublelock nut assembly 26 and reinforced by angle irons 27. Anchor'disc 25can be buried in the earth fill or the like behind the retaining walland acts to stabilize the wall. The ground anchor is preferably attachedto the wall in the area of a cap 16 because of the rigidity afforded tothis area of the wall by cap 16. When the ground anchor is attached tocap 16 and the cap bridges a joint J and in effect is secured to twopanels, connection of a ground anchor to such a cap in turn means aground anchor connection with a plurality of panels and not just onepanel. This type of connection also tends to relieve undue stresses onthe joint J by distributing and transferring a given load to severalpanels, which are spliced together by cap 16.

Any slack in this anchoring system resulting from the shifting of thewall and/or earth adjacent the wall can be readily compensated for bytightening up in a wellknown manner the individual nuts of double locknut assembly 26 attached to the land anchors as well as the wall ends ofthe appropriate tie rods 20 in order to stabilize the wall panels intheir fully erected positions.

An advantageous embodiment of the invention has been disclosed anddescribed. It is obvious various changes and modifications can be madetherein.

What is claimed is:

1. A marine wall and the like comprised of corrugated metal sheetsconnected by ball and socket type joint assemblies, a joint assembly fora pair of adjacent sheets comprising an elongated sinuous fittingaffixed to one of the sheets adjacent to and extending for substantiallythe entire length of the marginal edge thereof and forming inconjunction with and at the said marginal edge of the said one sheet ofthe joint assembly an elongated tongue receiving hinge pocket, anelongated and roughly J-shaped tongue element projecting from andextending for substantially the entire length of the marginal edge ofthe other sheet of the joint assembly, said tongue element beingprovided with a generously rounded bulbous end, the bulbous end of thetongue element being snugly yet loosely and telescopingly inserted insaid hinge pocket, a generally T-shaped reinforcing and loadtransferring cap element overlying and attached to the tops of thesheets and bridging the joint assembly, the lower stern portion of theT-shaped cap element being split so as to have side walls whichencompass both sides of a sheet to which the T-shaped cap element isattached and which the T-shaped cap element overlies, an adjustableground anchor means and adjustable bolt and tie rod means affixing saidanchor means to the tops of said sheets as well as to the cap element inareas offset from said joint assembly whereby said anchor means canstabilize the sheets in the ground in an upstanding position.

2. A wall as set forth in claim 1 wherein said ground anchor meansincludes a ground anchor disc.

1. A marine wall and the like comprised of corrugated metal sheetsconnected by ball and socket type joint assemblies, a joint assembly fora pair of adjacent sheets comprising an elongated sinuous fittingaffixed to one of the sheets adjacent to and extending for substantiallythe entire length of the marginal edge thereof and forming inconjunction with and at the said marginal edge of the said one sheet ofthe joint assembly an elongated tongue receiving hinge pocket, anelongated and roughly J-shaped tongue element projecting from andextending for substantially the entire length of the marginal edge ofthe other sheet of the joint assembly, said tongue element beingprovided with a generously rounded bulbous end, the bulbous end of thetongue element being snugly yet loosely and telescopingly inserted insaid hinge pocket, a generally T-shaped reinforcing and loadtransferring cap element overlying and attached to the tops of thesheets and bridging the joint assembly, the lower stem portion of theT-shaped cap element being split so as to have side walls whichencompass both sides of a sheet to which the T-shaped cap element isattached and which the T-shaped cap element overlies, an adjustableground anchor means and adjustable bolt and tie rod means affixing saidanchor means to the tops of said sheets as well as to the cap element inareas offset from said joint assembly whereby said anchor means canstabilize the sheets in the ground in an upstanding position.
 2. A wallas set forth in claim 1 wherein said ground anchor means includes aground anchor disc.